Customized Learning
I. Distinguishing Possibilities
At the Josef-Schwarz-Schule, every student has a variety of opportunities to set their own priorities during their school career.
From grade 7 on, an elective subject can be selected.
The following choices are available:
From grade 8, a second focus is set with the profile subject.
The following subjects can be chosen:
From Grade 11, in JSS College, students also have the option to choose an additional new starting language.
There is a choice between:
- Spanish
- Latin (Minimum number of students signing up necessary for commencement)
From Grade 12 in our JSS College, there is a wide range of subjects. Our main focus lies in the following:
| Distinguishing possibilities: | Choices as follows: |
|---|---|
| Grade 7 | French / AES / Technology |
| Grade 8 | Natural Sciences / Information Technology / Spanish / Sport |
| Grade 11 | New Starting Language: Spanish / Latin |
| Grade 12 | Information Technology / Natural Sciences / Business |
II. Proficiency levels
The school system in Baden-Württemberg has a three-tier structure and is graded according to the performance of the students. The strengths and weaknesses of the individual play only a minor role. This is exactly where we at the Josef-Schwarz-Schule would like to start and enable our students to make full use of their potential, while at the same time supporting them in meeting their challenges appropriately.
In this way, the Josef-Schwarz-Schule allows its students to choose between three different levels in each subject:
| G-level: | basic level | lower secondary school leaving certificate |
|---|---|---|
| M-level: | intermediate level | secondary school leaving certificate |
| E-level: | extended level | Abitur |
A student can, for example, study mathematics at the Gymnasium level, while working on French at the Realschule level. It is only in grade 9 that a final decision has to be made on which (uniform) level to work at or which qualification to aim for.
In general, the Gymnasium level is our starting point for each subject; students at other levels receive differentiated support accordingly.
III. Assistant Teachers (AT)
In order to enable work at different levels, we consistently employ two teachers in all main subjects: a main teacher, who is responsible for teaching the subject, and an assistant teacher (AT). The AT supports students who are working at a different level to follow the lessons. This is done, for example, through additional explanations, different tasks or small group teaching.